The Importance of True Belonging and Taking Up Space With Alice Matagora

Today's episode explores the intersection of Asian American Christianity and justice, discussing the historical context of justice within Christianity, the separation of evangelism and justice, and the impact of Western individualism on Asian American faith. Our host, Raymond Chang, together with Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, emphasize the need to recover a theological understanding of justice and provide practical steps for engaging in justice within the Asian American community. Linked Resources:https://www.professorrah.com/ Hosts: Raymond Chang Guest: Reverend Dr. Soong-Chan Rah Engineer: Elliot Koo Producer: Daniel Harris Manager: Gracie Hulse Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

In this episode, AACC President, Ray Chang, and Professor Daniel D. Lee explore the complexities of Asian American Christianity, discussing the integration of theology and identity, the challenges faced by the community, and the importance of contextualized ministry. They emphasize the need for nuanced understanding and language to articulate the Asian American experience, while also highlighting the significance of preserving cultural heritage and history. This podcast provides insights into how Asian American Christians can navigate their identities and experiences within the broader context of faith and community. Linked Resources: https://aac.fuller.edu/   Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Daniel D. Lee   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, Ray Chang and Reverend Dr. Abraham Cho explore the complexities of Asian American Christian leadership, the journey into ministry, and the cultural identity that shapes their experiences. They discuss the challenges of navigating predominantly white evangelical spaces, the diverging paths of career choices among Asian Americans, and the cultural costs associated with these dynamics. As they explore the evolving landscape of American Christianity, particularly focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by Asian American Christians, Dr. Cho points out the significance of cultural identity in faith and leadership, encouraging younger leaders to embrace their unique experiences and take initiative in their communities. Listen or download for the whole conversation and share your feedback with us!    Linked Resource: https://www.globalfaithandwork.com/our-team/abe-cho     Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Abraham Cho   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG:  @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit  asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, Ray Chang interviews Alice Matagora and discusses the journey of finding belonging and embracing her identity as an Asian American woman within white evangelical spaces. Alice emphasizes the need for communities that embrace and value the full expression of God's kingdom, where individuals can be their authentic selves. When faced with challenges as Asian American Christians in discipleship and leadership development, she emphasizes the importance of true belonging and being fully oneself, rather than fitting in and disowning parts of who we are. Listen in as we explore the question: How do we find true belonging and take up space?    Linked Resources:  https://www.alicematagora.com/   Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Alice Matagora    Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.  

In this episode of the AACC podcast, Ray Chang interviews Prasanta Verma about her book on ethnic loneliness and her personal journey of growing up as an Indian immigrant in predominantly white spaces. She dives deeper into the loneliness and identity conflicts she experienced while also navigating different forms of racism and marginalization that she and other Asian Americans face, both overt and subtle. Prasanta emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing one's own identity and finding community within one's own ethnic group and among allies in the dominant culture.      Linked Resources:  https://prasantaverma.com/ Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Prasanta Verma   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, Raymond Chang sits down with the dynamic author and speaker, Simi John, for a powerful conversation about identity, faith, and culture. Simi shares her journey of navigating life as both an Indian and a Christian woman—two identities that often felt at odds. Through raw insights and personal stories, she reveals how she found clarity and confidence in scripture, embracing both her faith and heritage without compromise. Simi dives into the importance of Southeast Asian representation, the challenges and joys of raising Indian children in faith and culture, and why meaningful connection matters now more than ever.    Linked Resources:  https://www.simijohn.tv/  Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Simi John   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, Raymond Chang speaks with Walter Kim on the relationship between Asian Americans and Evangelicalism. Should Asian Americans Christians use the term “evangelical”? Where do AAPI fit in the changing demographics of evangelicalism? And how can Asian Americans lead faithfully in evangelical contexts?    Linked Resources: https://www.nae.org/ Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Walter Kim   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Josh Huver   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, Raymond Chang speaks with Vivian Mabuni about her journey in leadership as an Asian American woman and her work with Someday is Here. How does our journey and experience as Asian Americans inform our leadership? How can seasoned Asian American leaders support and encourage emerging Asian American leaders to lead out of who they are?   Linked Resources:  https://www.vivianmabuni.com/someday-is-here   Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Vivian Mabuni   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Podcast Manager: Gracie Hulse   Producer: Josh Huver   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

On this episode of the AACC Podcast, we begin a series of discussions on the topic of Asian Americans in White Evangelical Spaces. We will be hearing from a variety of Asian American leaders from a range of contexts (church, academy, non-profit, etc) on their experiences working in predominantly White spaces. In this conversation, Raymond Chang speaks with Dr. Gregory Lee on the challenges of Asian Americans in Christian higher education. Dr. Lee shares about his experience as a professor and how he navigates his racial identity as an Asian American teaching at an evangelical institution.   Connect with Dr. Lee at [email protected] Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Gregory Lee   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Podcast Manager: Gracie Hulse   Producer: Sean Dupiano   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.

The AACC Podcast, hosted by Raymond Chang, invites listeners to this special episode where we explore civic engagement as Asian American Christians. Featuring special guest Sam Cho, the elected commissioner of the Port of Seattle, the episode highlights his personal journey into politics, shares his insights on generational political differences, and dives into his perspectives on how we should engage in politics as Christians.   In this podcast, Sam emphasizes the importance of building relationships and how authentic engagement with people is not tied to any political party. He shares the challenges with having to constantly prove his patriotism as an Asian American. He points out the lack of parental support in the pursuit of a political career. Join us in the insightful discussion on why we, as Asian American Christians, should have a seat at the table.   Hosts: Raymond Chang   Guest: Sam Cho   Engineer: Elliot Koo   Producer: Daniel Harris   Manager: Gracie Hulse   Follow us on IG: @aachristcollab   To find out more about AACC’s work, donate, or learn more visit asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com.   We encourage all of our listeners to vote. Find your state-specific election information and also in-language material at the APIAVote website: https://apiavote.org/how-to-vote/in-your-state/.